Curriculum

Below you will find an overview of the curriculum, sample main lesson block plans for each grade, and an example of a daily schedule for that grade.

Kindergarten:

The kindergarten curriculum is rooted in creative play, painting, beeswax modeling, storytelling, puppetry, baking, handwork and nature crafts. The curriculum is designed to enhance the young child’s physical development, including motor skills, language development, and sensory development. This prepares the child for a more structured academic curriculum in the grades.Grades 1-8 Overview:

Language arts, science, math, and history are taught in main lesson blocks of three to five weeks during the morning main lesson hours. Special subjects such as handwork, violin, German, painting, movement, and woodworking are taught in the afternoon.

Primary Grades 1-3 Overview:

Children are introduced to the alphabet pictorially. Writing, reading, spelling, poetry, and drama are taught using folk and fairy tales, fables, legends, and stories from diverse cultures. Numbers and the basic mathematical processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are taught throughout. Nature stories, gardening, handwork, art, and recorder complete the early grades’ curriculum.

Grade 1:

Language Arts: Phonemic awareness, writing to read

Mathematics: introduction to four operations

Social Studies: Overview of humanity through archetypes in fairy tales

Social Studies: Hebrew history through stories; practical living skills: cultivating food,

fiber arts, building a shelter

Science: observation of plants through gardening, animal husbandry

P.E./Movement: games involving trades; tag games, leaping and climbing through

obstacles

Middle Grades 4-6 Overiew:

Writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama are taught using Norse and Greek myths, and stories from ancient history. Students review the four basic mathematical processes, and learn about fractions, percentage, and geometry. Local and world geography, comparative zoology, botany, and elementary physics comprise the science curriculum.

Grade 4:

Language Arts: book reports, spelling and grammar, letter writing, research writing and

oral presentation

Mathematics: fractions, long division

Social Studies: Norse mythology, Scandinavian sagas, Alaska history and geography,

Language arts skills are refined through continued study of creative writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama. Students study medieval history, the Renaissance, world exploration, American history, and biography. Mathematics study includes geometry and algebra. Science is explored through geography, physics, basic chemistry, astronomy, and physiology.

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About Birchtree

Birchtree Charter School is a K-8 public school inspired by the methods of Waldorf education. In our school we use art, music, movement, and the teaching of foreign languages to support and enhance the study of reading, writing, history, science, and mathematics. Each day at Birchtree includes activities for a childs hands, heart, and head. In addition to meeting the academic standards of the State of Alaska, we are dedicated to helping our students develop academically, physically, socially, and emotionally. For a more in-depth description of our program, please look at our curriculum pages listed under the Program section of our website.